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A study of chemical runoff following the use of acetamiprid as a pre-treatment and top-up spray to prevent damage from the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) to young trees was undertaken at a restock site in mid-Wales. The site was specifically selected to pose a high risk of chemical runoff, being a high elevation, headwater catchment with stagnopodzol soils, subject to high rainfall. Water samples were collected before, during and after each treatment from six points around the site, as well as from a nearby stream that acted as a control. Only 1 of the 90 water samples collected detected acetamiprid at levels above the limit of quantification of 0.005 μg l−1 (i.e. 0.000000005 g in 1 l of water) and this appeared to be due to wash-off of residues from the plastic bags the trees had been delivered to the site in, which had been temporarily placed within a dry road drain. The recorded concentration of 0.1022 μg l−1 of acetamiprid was low, being only 20 per cent of the Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC) of 0.5 μg l−1. Neither of the top-up spray applications resulted in water contamination at any of the sampling points. The results show that the good forestry practice measures employed were effective in preventing contamination of stream waters by acetamiprid. The use of 10-m buffers between forest drains and receiving streams, as per standard good forestry practice in the UK, should be more than adequate to prevent any chemical runoff contaminating watercourses. However, it is recommended that forest practice is further tightened in relation to the placement and handling of planting bags on site. Bags should not be placed within or near road or forest drains, and they should be removed from the site at the end of each day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the efficacy of a range of herbicides to see if they might be potential substitutes for the use of propyzamide or glyphosate to control grass weed species that, if left unchecked, often outcompete recently planted trees in UK forests. Applications of 0.45kg a.i. ha−1 cycloxydim in late April–early May gave good control of wood small reed (Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth), Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus L.), and wavy hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin.)) for at least 12 weeks after application. When coupled with a sequential application of 0.15kg a.i. ha−1 propaquizafop made 5 weeks later, purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench) was controlled for at least 21 weeks. Sequential applications of 0.45 kg a.i. ha−1 cycloxydim in October, then 0.45 kg a.i. ha−1 cycloxydim in late April, was the most effective treatment for minimizing competition from purple moor grass, wood small reed or wavy hair grass and equally effective as propyzamide on Yorkshire fog. The herbicides carbetamide, clethodim, clodinafop-propargyl and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl were not as effective as cycloxydim. We conclude that cycloxydim is effective on a broader range of grass weeds than previously thought. Cycloxydim and propaquizafop are both highly selective and unlike the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate will not harm young trees, even if they are oversprayed when in active growth. If applied at the correct time of year, cycloxydim is likely to be as effective as glyphosate on most grasses, and for wood small reed, purple moor grass and wavy hair grass considerably more effective than propyzamide. A sequential application of cycloxydim or possibly propaquizafop in the autumn, followed by a second spray in late April of the following spring, is likely to be the most effective means of maximizing tree growth and survival in grass dominated new planting or restock sites in UK forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In UK forestry, the synthetic pyrethroid insecticides alpha-cypermethrin and cypermethrin have been used for many years to provide protection for young trees from damage by the large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis L. However, concerns over the toxicity of these insecticides has led to a search for alternatives. In our work, applications of 0.037 g.a.i.stem–1 acetamiprid provided high levels of protection from Hylobius browsing, comparable to alpha-cypermethrin or cypermethrin, and without causing phytotoxicity. However, re-application is likely to be required in the second growing season after planting. Our research identified that acetamiprid treated trees can be safely cold stored as part of normal nursery practice. Acetamiprid is less toxic than synthetic pyrethroids. We also found that pre-treating trees with 0.016 g.a.i.stem–1 chlorantraniliprole, a relatively low toxicity insecticide, can be equally effective in protecting trees, and that dye markers can be safely used to help target spays. Our testing of physical barriers such as MultiPro®, and to a lesser extent Kvaae® wax, suggests they may have a role as a partial substitute for the use of insecticides in some circumstances in the UK and Ireland, but only as part of an integrated approach where on-site populations of Hylobius are predicted to be low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For years the United States Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program and the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency have published annual or quarterly data on pesticide residues in foods. Both programs report residues in conventionally grown, organic, and imported foods. The US program has tested about 288,000 food samples since 1992, primarily fruits and vegetables consumed by children. Since 1999 the UK has tested about 72,000 samples of a wider range of foods. These data are vital inputs in tracking trends in pesticide dietary risks.Methods: The Dietary Risk Index (DRI) system facilitates detailed analyses of US and UK pesticide residue data, trends, and chronic risk distributions. The DRI value for a pesticide is the dietary intake of that pesticide from a single serving of food divided by the pesticide's acceptable daily intake as set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. It can be calculated based on average annual residue concentrations, and on residue levels in individual samples of food. DRI values can be aggregated over multiple pesticides in single foods, and over individual pesticides in multiple foods.Results: The DRI system provides insights into the levels, trends, and distribution of pesticide dietary risk across most widely consumed foods. By drawing on both US Pesticide Data Program and UK-Food Standards Agency residue data, the DRI is capable of assessing pesticide risks in a significant portion of the global food supply. Substantial reductions in pesticide dietary risks occurred in the early 2000s, primarily from replacement of organophosphate insecticides with seemingly lower-risk neonicotinoids. However, there remain several areas of concern and opportunities to reduce risks. Both herbicide and fungicide dietary risks are rising. Organically grown produce poses risks far lower than corresponding, conventionally grown produce. Risk differences are inconsistent between domestic and imported foods.Conclusions: The surest ways to markedly reduce pesticide dietary risks are to shift relatively high-risk fruits and vegetables to organic production. For other foods, reducing reliance on pesticides overall, and especially high-risk pesticides, will incrementally lower risks. The DRI system can help focus such efforts and track progress in reducing pesticide dietary risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In UK forestry, the synthetic pyrethroid insecticides alpha-cypermethrin and cypermethrin have been used for many years to provide protection for young trees planted on restock sites from damage by the large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis L. However, concerns over the toxicity of these insecticides to aquatic life if misused have led to a search for alternative forms of protection. This paper describes a detailed programme of efficacy experiments undertaken between 2009 and 2015 to find replacements for these products. Over 50 combinations of chemical and non-chemical approaches were tested on 16 different sites. Of the alternative synthetic insecticides tested, applications of 0.037 g a.i. stem−1 acetamiprid provided high levels of protection from Hylobius browsing damage on young Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière) trees, without causing any phytotoxic symptoms, and gave comparable levels of protection to those achievable using alpha-cypermethrin or cypermethrin. Acetamiprid is less toxic to aquatic life than alpha-cypermethrin or cypermethrin and has not been linked to bee decline. Applications of 0.0129 g a.i. stem−1 chlorantraniliprole also showed promise, and this relatively low toxicity non-neonicotinoid insecticide merits further study. Although imidacloprid and thiacloprid also provided good levels of protection, their use in forests is not now permitted due to concerns over their potential impacts on bees and drinking water, respectively. Whilst the natural product insecticide spinosad, and the entomopathogenic fungal control agent Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin , gave only limited protection in our work, they may have some future potential if methods of deployment can be improved. Other chemical and non-chemical approaches tested, but found to be largely ineffective in UK conditions, included the natural product insecticides azadirachtin, maltodextrin and pyrethrins, the synthetic insecticides lambda-cyhalothrin and spirotetramat and a wide range of repellents, flexible stem coatings and physical barrier products. However, we conclude that physical barrier sleeves such as MultiPro® and BioSleeve® may have a limited role as a partial substitute for the use of insecticides in the UK in some circumstances, but only if on-site populations of Hylobius are predicted to be low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loosely integrated and incomplete policy networks have been neglected in the literature. They are important to consider in terms of understanding network underperformance. The effective delivery and formulation of policy requires networks that are not incomplete or underperforming. The biopesticides policy network in the United Kingdom is considered and its components identified with an emphasis on the lack of integration of retailers and environmental groups. The nature of the network constrains the actions of its agents and frustrates the achievement of policy goals. A study of this relatively immature policy network also allows for a focus on network formation. The state, via an external central government department, has been a key factor in the development of the network. Therefore, it is important to incorporate such factors more systematically into understandings of network formation. Feedback efforts from policy have increased interactions between productionist actors but the sphere of consumption remains insufficiently articulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Georgina Downs, a pesticide campaigner with personal experience of exposure to pesticides in crop sprays, sought review of the Government’s approach to the assessment of harm to residents and bystanders in its process of authorisation of pesticides. Collins J allowed the application and ordered the Secretary of State to reconsider and amend his policy as necessary. He found that she had justified her allegation that the risk model was inadequate and was supported in this respect by the report of Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. Furthermore, the Secretary of State’s policy was in breach of the Plant Protection Products (Pesticides) Directive because compliance with Annex VI, which sets out uniform principles for evaluation, could only be achieved if the policy adequately protected residents, which it did not. On appeal, the Secretary of State contended that the judge had erred in (i) rejecting Defra’s submission that compliance with the uniform principles set out in Annex VI of the Directive was sufficient to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 4.1(b); and (ii) substituting his own evaluation of the scientific evidence for that of the Secretary of State. The appeal was allowed. As to the first claim, compliance with the uniform principles in Annex VI was a sufficient test of the harmful effects of a pesticide on human health. If no harmful effects were found by applying these principles, authorisation would be in compliance with Article 4.1. The uniform principles were designed to provide a comprehensive code for all Member States to apply. The purpose of the Directive was to harmonise authorisation procedures and it would frustrate this purpose if Member States were able to introduce their own principles or policies for the purpose of establishing whether a pesticide had harmful effects on health. The Secretary of State had applied the uniform principles and Defra’s crop spraying authorisation policy was therefore compliant with the Directive. As to the second claim, the Court found that Collins J had substituted his own evaluation for that of the Secretary of State. It was for the Secretary of State, having considered the Report of the RCEP and the advice of the ACP, to decide whether the evidence raised real doubts as to the safety of the pesticides or whether it amounted only to a possible link that had not been scientifically confirmed. While the Secretary of State’s decision was not immune from review, the hurdle for establishing review was high and required a demonstration of ‘manifest error’. The disagreement between the RCEP and the ACP was evidence to there not being such a manifest error. The Secretary of State’s decision was not therefore erroneous in law. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article analyses regulatory innovation. It considers, in particular, how a regulatory environmental agency has been encouraged to innovate in the area of biopesticides. The literature on regulatory innovation is reviewed, the discussion situated within Moran's theory of the regulatory state. It considers to what extent innovation has occurred within the agency, looking at its proactive stance, and how unusually for a regulatory body it has negotiated new policy spaces in which to operate. The article looks at the contextual drivers and also the exogenous and endogenous pressures behind the innovation. It shows how the executive has intervened in order to promote more use of biopesticides and how pressure is also being exerted within the regulatory authority. By using the existing literature and empirical evidence a framework is outlined for explaining the likelihood of regulatory innovation occurring in regulatory agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at the political issues concerning the regulation of pesticides by Great Britain. Details on the hazardous nature of pesticides; Provision proposed in the 1979 report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; Description of protest campaigns against the use of pesticides; Effectiveness of media exposure as a tool of protestors.